U.S. economist and statesman Lyndon LaRouche began a discussion with the LaRouche PAC Policy Committee on Monday, by raising the crucial importance of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now making a definite impact in the United States and not only among Indian-Americans. LaRouche's subject was leadership, in a period of economic collapse, looming financial crisis and war, but in which an entirely new and bright potential human future has been created in countries in the growing grouping around the BRICS nations.

"There is the important factor of a new figure on the international scale: Narendra Modi," LaRouche said. "This man requires special treatment, because his role, in terms of his part in history, the history of India, but the history of the region in general, as such is unique. And if you saw even fractions of what his reception had been, you would say, 'This is one of the most remarkable individuals in modern political history.' He won all kinds of praise and applause from the people, and it was all very, very serious, very enthusiastic. But you look back a little bit earlier, to his earlier moments in his recent history and he was like this: He was a creature made for a time to lead.

"And there are others in that same category which he is related to. There are people in Russia.... And through China, for example, we have great leaders in China. We have also in some of the BRICS nations, we have great leaders who are emerging there....

"Therefore, we have to really understand what this man, Modi, has meant to us, because what his role is now, and this is one of the great achievements...."

Modi To Madison Square Garden: 21st Century Will Be That of India

Addressing a rapturous crowd of 20,000 inside New York's iconic Madison Square Garden, and many thousands more outside, on Sept. 28, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi made clear what he intends to achieve as the prime minister of India. Promising a fast pace of development, Modi said, "There is no reason to be disappointed. India will progress very fast and the skills of our youth will take India ahead.... The 21st Century will be that of India. By 2020, only India will be in a position to provide workforce to the world," he said, while citing examples of the "growing global demand for teachers, scientists and engineers." "Winning elections is not about any post or chair. It's a responsibility. Since taking over (as Prime Minister), I have not even taken a 15-minute vacation," he said.

The event was attended by nearly 40 U.S. lawmakers; the attending legislators immediately connected with Modi when he said he was a small man who reached here "selling tea" but intended to do "big things for small people." "I see now why the people of India elected him," said Congressman Henry C. "Hank" Johnson from Georgia. "He has got a vision. He has a plan to make it happen."

Congresswoman Cynthia Lumis of Wyoming, who visited Gujarat last year to meet Modi when he was the state's Chief Minister, said, "I have very few Indian-American constituents, but I came from Wyoming for this event because I am confident that he is a potentially transformative figure for the Indian economy. The speech he gave today punctuated that, the fact that he talked about individuals and the ability that they have to do about communities for the good of the country," she said, adding that lawmakers were highly impressed when Modi said that he was a small person and wants to do great things for them. Congresswoman Grace Meng from New York said. "It was an honor to be on stage at Madison Square Garden, and to be part of this historic and important event. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Modi and his administration to make the bond between India and the U.S. even stronger."

Pointing out that 1.25 billion people is what makes India great, Modi said: "We are a youthful nation with a very old culture.... Today India is the most youthful nation of this world. Today 65% of the population of the country are below the age of 35 years. What more asset a nation requires whose 65% population is below 35 years of age.... A nation, whose youths are committed to make the future of the country, will not have to look back. This country is going to progress with the support of the youths," he said as the crowd continuously cheered him.

When he referenced India's independence from the British colonial rule, he didn't dignify the oppressor by naming the British Empire. In fact, he even went so far as to cite the 18th-century takeover of India as the result of a long chain of oppressions going back many centuries, of foreign invaders eating away at the country, and at one point, he went out of his way to thank the Sikh population for everyone present, for their historic role in saving India from foreign invaders. Rather than complaining about the British Empire, he repeated several times, "Independence meant the end of our slavery!"

Recalling that Mahatma Gandhi, who is considered the Father of Modern India, turned the freedom struggle into a mass movement, Modi said at that time every Indian felt part of the crusade for the country's independence. Making a pitch for involving people in the development process, he said, "my clear view is that governments alone cannot bring development. At the most, the governments can launch only schemes. ... Development happens when there is public participation. The erstwhile governments had taken the onus of development only on themselves. We adopted the path of involving all," he said.

Notably, former President Bill Clinton expressed the same assessment of Prime Minister Modi, in July in India, just after Modi's election, and again now in a September 29 meeting of the Clintons with Modi in New York. "I'm thrilled," former President Clinton said, "No one else has had the knowledge and the votes, than you, to build up the nation." Some 40 Members of Congress from around the nation attended the Madison Square Garden speech and were strong in praise and support of Modi afterwards. And also notably, on the day (Sept. 30) Modi is to meet with President Barack Obama, one of India's major English dailies The Hindu presented as its leading "Opinion" a blunt condemnation of Obama's policy of permanent warfare and ["inadvertent"] spreading of terrorism around the globe. The leadership LaRouche is praising, is one of a new global strategic policy of peace through rapid economic and scientific development of nations.

But LaRouche continued, on the "national town hall" meeting organized by the Policy Committee of LaRouche PAC the same weekend Modi spoke. "We had a weekend event, in which we presented a description of what the options are for the American system — the American political and economic system. We presented that. And I think that what we did, in that weekend event: We made a mark in history of our own. Not quite as impressive as any of the things I've just presented, but, they were impressive, because we have brought onto the platform, a factor of history, in this United States now, which is worth a mention, by the greatest leaders of the United States up to now....

"We had the same kind of passion, determination, to create a success.... And so therefore, I think this thing is going to be — I don't have to tell you, I don't have to tell the audience — but what is going to happen, is we are going to be presented, as in Madison Square Garden; we are going to have, coming out of there, one of the most memorable experiences of the American people, as a whole. The effects are going to be wonderful."